The job, the career. And it begins!

We study to learn, to create a stepping stone to our career. We chose our career based on a number of influences. Hopefully it is because of a love of the job. A passion that drives us, a little whisper telling us this is what we are supposed to do. But it's not always the case. 

I remember my first education lecture at university.  One of the first questions asked was why people chose to study teaching. There were a number of answers but the most overwhelming answer was 'for the holidays'.

To be perfectly honest,  I didn't think much of it at the time. But after a number of professional experiences and a number of professional conversations with peers and mentors I have grown more and more shocked by the answer. For me, it isn't, nor has the appeal of teaching ever been the holidays. It's about the time spent in the classroom,  not away from it.
These reflections to, these thoughts are becoming more regular and more passionate for me.  And this is how I know. I know this is the profession for me.

On top of that is another aspect that often goes with any profession. And that is the specifics of any job. The things that become second nature. That may not be thought about and you don't realise how specific they are until you're speaking to someone outside of the profession. I find this very interesting.

Because only 3 and a half years ago I had very little idea about teaching. Now, I am ready to start my career and am extremely confident standing in front of a classroom. I didn't completely believe I would ever get to this point.  Where the excitement of teaching far outweighs the nerves.  But it is one of the greatest feelings!

This unit has taught me many things, but I think the greatest has been the understanding and the importance of reflection in teaching.  Without reflection we can not grow as learners, so how can we help others grow? This unit has been a complete and utter joy to be a part of and I am so grateful that it has fallen at the end of my degree. It is one I will remember with very fond memories

Thank you..

Nearing the end..

What have I learnt from this unit? What have I learnt from my experience of university? What will I take forward with me as I begin my teaching career?
Funnily enough these questions are ones that I have not consciously thought of too much over the past three and a half years. But today it dawned on me. I have learnt how to learn.
I have learnt the skills of learning. I now better understand how and why I learn as an individual, but also how and why others may learn. I learn because I want to. I learn because I have a thirst for knowledge. Because I have a drive and passion in me that makes me look towards the future. I can not help but be intrigued by the world and the people that surround me. I can not help but be hungry to learn why people and things work the way they do. I want to know.
So, in order to take this particular skill of learning and make use of it I need to understand that of my students. What drives them? How do they learn? And do they want to learn?
The last question is one that is intriguing and one that was hinted at during our tutorial last week. As a teacher, there is only so much we can do in the way of teaching. But the first step, before any teaching and learning can be done is for the students to be there. To turn up. To show an interest in learning. Beyond that, we, as teachers, need to motivate and engage our students so they 'press the button'. So they turn around and open their eyes to the learning that can be done.
Whilst learning can be inflicted it can not be enforced. If someone does not want to learn then they won't.
As I begin my career this analogy of the button and the turning chair (from the tv show 'the Voice') will remain with me. I hope that I can get my students there, to press the button, turn around and open their eyes to their own learning.

A teacher and a mentor....

The word mentor has come up regularly during my studies. And it is an important part of the profession that I am about to enter. Thinking back to my days at school, particularly those years in high school, my 'favourite' teachers were not only teachers, they were mentors. 

"Mentoring is to support and encourage people to manage their own learning in order that they may maximise their potential, develop their skills, improve their performance and become the person they want to be." Eric Parsloe, The Oxford School of Coaching & Mentoring

I think this definition of mentoring is a very good one. It focuses on the student, not the teacher or mentor. The idea of mentoring is to allow someone to recognise these things on their own. To develop as a person. A mentor simply facilitates and assists in this process.

This concept of mentoring is more than being a good teacher. It is about assisting students to recognise their own potential. For them to grow and develop academically, physically and emotionally. This is something that I am looking forward to doing. To be a mentor I will need to have the students respect. I will need to have their trust. From this, the teacher/student relationship can be formed and then mentoring can begin.


Reference:
Eric Parsloe, The Oxford School of Coaching & Mentoring, Mentorset, What is Mentoring?, (2008), http://www.mentorset.org.uk/pages/mentoring.htm